The illusion of depth in a two dimensional image may be created by presenting a slightly different image to each eye of a viewer. When the images are properly presented, the viewer perceives a three dimensional (3D) image. Various technologies exist for conveying 3D images to a viewer, including technologies in which the viewer wears special glasses and technologies in which no special glasses are worn. For example, polarization-based 3D motion picture technologies include a projector with a polarization switching device (or two separate projectors), that projects two superimposed images onto the same screen with either orthogonal linear polarization or circular polarization of opposite handedness. The viewer wears glasses that include a pair of orthogonal linear polarizers or circular polarizers of opposite handedness, so that each eye sees only one of the images.
3D technologies also have been developed for display devices. For example, a glasses-based 3D display technology includes a display that displays left-eye and right-eye images sequentially using a concept referred to as alternate-frame sequencing. The viewer wears shutter glasses, which pass light to the left eye or to the right eye in synchronization with the images on the display screen. Other 3D display technologies exist, in which the viewer does not wear special glasses. For example, parallax-barrier type 3D display systems include one or more barrier layers that cover a liquid crystal display (LCD). The barrier layer is transparent with vertical black strips, and its horizontally, angular-dependent masking effect allows each of the viewer's eyes to see different pixel columns. Yet another 3D display technology includes overlaying an array of vertical cylindrical prisms (e.g., a lenticular lens) over an LCD. Light from some (e.g., odd) pixel columns is diverted toward the left eye, and light from other (e.g., even) pixel columns is diverted toward the right eye.
Although current 3D systems may be considered as improvements over traditional 2D systems and older 3D systems, improvements in 3D technologies are desired, particularly for 3D display devices. For example, in many situations, it is undesirable to require the viewer to wear special glasses in order to perceive 3D images. Although the parallax-barrier and lenticular lens 3D display technologies discussed above do not require the viewer to wear special glasses, both of these technologies produce images with decreased resolution when compared with glasses-based 3D technologies. The decreased resolution may cause the viewer to experience uncomfortable visual effects, headaches, and/or eye strain after relatively long viewing exposure. In addition, current 3D display systems may have certain limitations and characteristics that make them unsuitable for certain applications. For example, in avionics display devices (e.g., for cockpit display devices), it may be impractical for the flight crew to wear the glasses that are associated with glasses-based 3D display systems. In addition, avionics displays may be exposed to direct sunlight during taxi and flight, and current 3D display systems may lack sufficient sunlight readability to make them suitable for avionics applications. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods that incorporate 3D display technologies that do not rely on the use of viewing glasses, that have improved resolution and a more comfortable viewer experience, and/or that have improved sunlight readability, among other things. Other desirable features and characteristics of the embodiments will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the inventive subject matter and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the inventive subject matter.